Blue
by alazymoon
Summary: When Levy is interviewed for Sorcerer's Weekly, she overhears a conversation that makes her wonder the real reason Gajeel protects her. Is their relationship borne of friendship, guilt, or something more?
1. Chapter 1

"And that's why I love Fairy Tail!" Levy McGarden flashed a peace sign and her most winning smile at the camera, its flash blinding her for a brief second. She blinked her large brown eyes several times and focused them on the blond, pointy-haired young man in front of her. "So, um, do you need anything else?" she asked, adjusting the cheerful yellow headband that held her blue bangs away from her forehead.

Jason, the top columnist for _Sorcerer's Weekly_, lowered his camera. "THAT WAS SO COOOOOL!" he grinned, clenching his hands and making a fist-pumping motion. "BEST INTERVIEW EVER! My readers are gonna LOVE hearing about Fairy Tail being back in action!"

"Glad to hear it!" she chirped, though inwardly she breathed a sigh of relief. The solid script mage wasn't the type who liked being the center of attention, so she was glad the interview was over. The only reason she agreed to it at all was that the magazine was doing an entire issue about Fairy Tail, and the guild badly needed the publicity. Being gone for seven years on Tenrou Island had been hard on all the guildmembers left behind, and Levy felt she owed it to them to do whatever she could to raise Fairy Tail's reputation back to what it once was.

Hopping down from the stool she had been sitting on, she heard a faint beeping sound coming from Makarov's desk. The guildmaster's office had been turned into a makeshift photographer's studio for Jason's use – part of the Master's strategy to help Fairy Tail gain back popularity by being extra accommodating to the famous reporter. "Jason, is that your lacrima communication crystal beeping?" she asked.

"Oh yeah! Must be my editor checking in!" He ran over to the desk. "Thanks again for the interview!"

"No problem!" As she gathered her books that had been used as props in her photo shoot, she couldn't help but wonder how her guildmate Gajeel Redfox's interview went. The Iron Dragon Slayer had very little good to say about Fairy Tail seven years ago when he had first joined their guild, and she chuckled remembering the curt answers he had given Jason back then.

_"Fairy Tail has no good qualities." "I have no desire that I wish to accomplish in the future." "I do not have a good relationship with anyone."_

Would his answers be different this time? Would he describe Fairy Tail as his nakama? Would he talk about his hope to see his dragon father Metallicana again? Would he mention _her_?

She blushed. Her friendship with Gajeel had considerably deepened since he joined the guild, and there was a secret part of her that hoped it might blossom into something more. But whether the raven-haired young man felt the same, she had no idea. He wasn't exactly the cheerful, outgoing type, so it was hard to read him. But little by little he seemed to be opening up to her, and she hoped they'd grow closer as time went on. All she needed was a little patience!

"Yeah, just finished up all the interviews!" Jason waved goodbye to Levy as she walked out the doorway of Makarov's office, arms filled with books. "Yup, got him AND that blue-haired girl that follows him around like a puppy dog! Don't know why she does it when it's so obvious he barely tolerates her. Must be his dark good looks, ha!"

The words hit her like a punch in the gut. _"Blue haired girl…follows him around like a puppy dog…he barely tolerates her…dark good looks…"_ Her heart pounded and she clutched her books closer to her chest. _"He must be talking about me and Gajeel!"_

* * *

Levy stood frozen in the hallway that connected Makarov's office to the guildhall. She didn't want to go back and face Jason who was obviously laughing at her with his boss. But the prospect of going into the guildhall and facing Gajeel, if that's how he really felt about her, was even more awful. Oh Mavis, what was she going to do?

The sound of Jason's camera bag zipping closed signaled that he would soon be walking out, and she fought the nausea swirling in her stomach. "You can't stay here forever!" she scolded herself. If only there was a way she could walk through the guildhall unseen.

A lightbulb flashed in her head. _That's it!_ Placing her books on the floor, she pulled out her light pen and wrote the word "INVISIBLE" on her arm. Magically, her image shimmered then disappeared. Tiptoeing into the guildhall, she surveyed the scene. Natsu Dragneel and Gray Fullbuster were pummeling each other in a fist-fight, Lucy Heartfilia was writing in her notebook, Erza Scarlet was in raptures over a slice of strawberry cake, and Mirajane Strauss was chatting with her siblings. As for Gajeel – he was arm-wrestling with his exceed Pantherlily, a past-time she knew from experience wouldn't end anytime soon.

Taking a deep breath, she crept past her guildmates, trying to avoid bumping into the rambunctious mages who were either carousing or battling with each other, depending on how much they had to drink. Thankful for once of her petite frame that was too light to bend the creaky floorboards, she managed to reach the front door without making a sound. With one last, longing look at Gajeel, she crossed the threshold and ran straight to her room at Fairy Hills.

Levy sat her on bed in her pajamas, her arms crossed over her bent knees. Visible once again after scrubbing off her magic with a long, hot shower, she rested her chin on her arms and looked down at her toenails that she had recently painted a silvery metallic color in hopes it would catch Gajeel's eye. Of course it hadn't, but she was used to it. Or so she thought.

_Gajeel_. She sighed. Her feelings for the metal mage were complicated to say the least. If you would have asked her when she first met him if she would have thought he was boyfriend material, she would have answered a loud "HELL, NO!" Their first meeting had been a battle, in fact – one which she and her teammates Jet and Droy had brutally lost at the hands of the former Phantom Lord mage. But since joining Fairy Tail, he had made it up to her in spades, protecting her several times in some major battles and even offering to be her partner when she was chosen for the S-Class exam. Sure, he was still pretty grouchy, and could be a major a-hole from time to time, but she couldn't help growing to care for him in spite of it. She knew that underneath that crusty exterior was a strong, brave soul who would do anything to protect those he cared about. And she thought that she was one of the people who fell into that category.

But was Jason right? Did Gajeel really just "barely tolerate" her?

She hated to admit it, but Jason was at least right about the puppy dog thing. She did follow Gajeel around quite a bit. It was hard not to; when she cared for people, she cared for them openly and honestly and wasn't afraid to show it. Not going to him, when he was who she wanted to be around the most, just went against her entire nature. And since he never told her to go away, she figured he was okay with it.

But was it all just guilt? Was he just tolerating her to make up for what he did in the past? Was her presence just his penance?

Because now that she thought about it, if she didn't sit with him, he wouldn't seek her out or sit next to her. And she was the one always making the efforts to spend time with him – asking to train with him and Pantherlily, inviting them to picnic lunches, bringing him special metal treats she'd made with her magic. In fact, as far as she could remember, he NEVER reciprocated any of those gestures. Heck, if she really wanted to be honest with herself, he never even looked at her when she walked into the guild!

A lone tear trailed down her cheek. "Jason's right," she sniffed. "Gajeel doesn't like me at all!"

She hid her face in her arms and sobbed openly as the realization hit her like an iron fist.

"I won't bother him anymore," she wept. "He's paid his dues, I won't make him pay anymore."

But if she had to pick what hurt more – his punches or his indifference, well, she'd take his punches any day of the week.


	2. Chapter 2

She wasn't sure when she had fallen asleep; all she knew was that far too bright sunlight was shining on her closed eyelids and the birds chirping outside her window were unnecessarily loud and cheerful. Levy turned over, giving her back to the window before pulling a pillow over her head. Why did mornings have to be so darn _early?_

As her dreams floated away and her wakeful mind returned, so did her memories of the day before. The knowledge that she now had to treat Gajeel like a stranger returned with full force, and, along with it, the knot in her stomach. She burrowed into her blankets. If only Jet and Droy hadn't gone on that month-long mission. At least then she could have escaped to some far-off town with her teammates until her embarrassment dissipated, instead of hiding in her room. Although, staying in her room all day certainly had its appeal - she didn't have to worry about running into brooding dragon slayers in her bed. She groaned, remembering that dragon slayers not being in her bed was part of her problem.

She flipped over on her back and tossed her pillow across the room. Hiding in her room wasn't going to solve anything. Fairy Tail was her home, and she wasn't leaving it! She would just have to find a way to get over Gajeel one way or another, and the sooner the better.

She jumped out of bed and stomped to her bathroom. _"I wasn't an S-class candidate for nothing!"_ she thought, tugging a brush through her tousled blue locks and giving herself her most fierce glare in the mirror. _"I can do this!"_

An hour later when she walked into the guildhall, though, she wasn't so sure. But she knew didn't have a choice; she HAD to avoid Gajeel, whether she liked it or not. Taking a deep breath, she marched straight to the bar where Mirajane was pouring some tea and hopped onto a barstool.

"Good morning, Mira!" she smiled, placing the book she brought with her on the bartop. "If that's a pot of jasmine tea, I'd love a cup!"

Mirajane beamed back at her. "Why, yes it is! One cup of jasmine tea coming up!" She reached for a fresh teacup from an overhead cabinet. "By the way, Gajeel's already here, he's sitting over by the stage with Pantherlily, no doubt planning his next musical appearance!" she giggled.

"Oh, that's nice for him," Levy said nonchalantly, trying to seem as though she couldn't care less what he was doing. She opened her book to the last place she had read in an attempt to keep her eyes from wandering to Gajeel. _"Don't look, don't look, don't look!" _she scolded herself.

As Mirajane poured the steaming tea into Levy's cup, her blue eyes studied the younger girl's face. "Would you like me to pour some tea for Gajeel too? I can take it over to both of you when it's ready."

Levy felt her cheeks get hot. "No, I'll be taking my tea here. If he wants some he can get it himself."

Mirajane's eyes widened. "Did something happen between you and Gajeel?"

"NO!" Levy shrunk at the loudness of her own voice. "I mean, of course not!" she said more calmly. "What in the world would give you that idea?"

Mirajane's mouth twisted into a wry smile. "Well, let's just say I don't often see you here at the bar," she teased, picking up a tea towel to give the countertop a wipedown.

"Actually, I have a reason for that," said Levy, closing her book. "Mira, do you think I could help you out at the bar today?"

"Help me out?" Narrowing her eyes, Mirajane leaned over the bartop to peer at the solid script mage. "Levy McGarden, what are you up to?"

"Nothing! Nothing!" Levy put on her most innocent look. "It's just that I realized I don't spend nearly enough time getting to know the other members in our guild. I thought that helping you out would be a good way of talking to everyone today, that's all." "_And keeping my mind off certain Iron Dragon Slayers while I'm at it, too," _she thought.

"Hmm," Mirajane placed her forefinger over her mouth. "Well, it would be nice to have some help for a change," she mused. She broke out into a huge smile. "Alright, you've got the job!"

"Yay!" cried Levy, relieved. Gajeel never ordered anything from the bar so she knew she was safe from his presence – for that day at least.

After putting on Mirajane's spare apron, Levy placed herself behind the bar and immediately brewed another pot of tea. Her first customer turned out to be none other than her best friend, Lucy.

"Levy!" cried the blonde celestial spirit mage. "What are you doing behind the bar? Is Mira okay?"

"Mira's fine," said Levy, handing over the menu of the day's specials to Lucy. "I just decided it was high time I expand my horizons and get to know my guildmates. I figured helping out Mira was a good place to start!"

Lucy cocked her head at Levy. "Okay, what did Gajeel do?"

"That's what I said!" interjected Mirajane, who was carrying a wine barrel from the storecloset behind the bar in anticipation of Cana Alberona's arrival. Though the transformation mage was all dainty sweetness, her magic gave her strength and power to spare when she needed it.

"He didn't do anything!" protested Levy, whose cheeks turned a bright shade of pink. "Can't a girl want to get to know her friends better without it being about a guy?"

Lucy chuckled. "Okay, okay, I believe you. Come to think of it, I'd like to help out too. It'd be great material for my writing! What do you think, Mira?"

Mirajane smiled. "Why not? The more the merrier! I don't have another apron to lend you, though."

"Not a problem! I'll just call Virgo for one!" Lucy pulled out her set of magic keys and summoned the celestial spirit Virgo, who promptly transformed Lucy's outfit into an entire waitress uniform.

Lucy sweatdropped. "I just needed an apron, Virgo."

"But why not have the whole uniform? It matches much better," admonished Virgo. "Besides, Natsu-san likes you in these kinds of uniforms."

"VIRGO!" Lucy's cheeks blazed a red as flaming as Natsu's fire magic. "Don't say such things!"

Levy giggled. Maybe this wasn't going to be so bad after all!

Between taking food orders, chatting with guildmates she rarely talked to, and gossiping with Lucy and Mirajane, the day flew by for Levy. Leaning against the bar after the lunchtime rush, she looked out over the guildhall and realized why Mirajane enjoyed her job so much. From her vantage point she could see the entire guild's antics - Juvia Lockser fawning over Gray, Evergreen bickering with Elfman, and Romeo Conbolt showing Natsu the latest fire magic technique he'd learned at school. And in a corner, drinking a tankard alone, was Gajeel.

She tried not to look at him, but she couldn't help it. She wondered if he noticed she was working the bar, if he missed her presence. He looked annoyed – but then again, he always looked like that. As she predicted, he hadn't come to the bar once. Pantherlily had dropped by for a glass of kiwi juice and ordered the tankard of beer for Gajeel, but that had been it. She sighed. Turning around, she was stunned to see Mirajane and Lucy smirking at her.

"Yup, he totally did something," said Lucy, out of the corner of her mouth to Mirajane.

"Totally!" returned Mirajane out of the corner of her mouth to Lucy.

"No, he didn't!" insisted Levy, waving her arms up and down.

"Riiiiiiight!"

Later that night, Levy lay in bed thinking over the day's activities. She'd definitely had a lot more fun helping out Mirajane than she thought she would. It was hard not to enjoy herself when Lucy was around, and it was nice to see how the other guildmembers brightened when they saw her take their orders. But there was an emptiness in her heart that she knew was due to the lack of one person's presence that day – Gajeel's. And the love of all her guildmates didn't seem to fill the void his absence left.

She covered her head with her blankets. "_One day down, the rest of my life to go."_

* * *

If Levy had an addiction – other than hanging around Gajeel – it was books. She adored them. She loved the smell of aged parchment; the feel of soft, buttery leather binding; the look of crisp, clean text. And since she was a solid script mage who had to study the written word to improve her skill level, it meant she could luxuriate in her addiction for hours on end.

But some days, she wished she had an addiction that didn't, well, take up so much _space_.

"Argh, where the heck did I put that book?" she grumbled, rummaging on her knees through yet another stack of books near her bed. Tossing "How to Learn Ancient Krillian in Ten Easy Steps" into the pile in the center of her room, she sat up and blew her blue bangs out of her face. Her plan that morning had been to study her book on rune theory at the guild to keep her mind off Gajeel, since it was one of the harder subjects for her to understand. But the plan wouldn't work if she couldn't find the darn thing.

She rubbed her temples and closed her eyes to concentrate. _"Think, Levy, think,"_ she thought to herself. _"You were just reading it the day before yesterday, remember? You talked to Gajeel about it that morning, right before your interview with Jason."_

With a jolt of recognition, she sprang to her feet. "THE MASTER'S OFFICE!"

* * *

"Why, hello there, my dear!" Makarov smiled up at Levy from behind his enormous desk, where he was reading the morning's mail. "To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?

"Sorry to bother you, Master, but I left a few books here the other day when we were being interviewed by that reporter from _Sorcerer's Weekly_," she said. "Did you happen to find them by any chance?"

He nodded. "Yes, yes, I thought those might be yours. I put them by my bookcase for safe keeping. You'll find them near the bottom shelf."

Her eyes flew to the carved, wooden bookcase where saw her hardbacks neatly stacked on the ground. "Thank goodness!" she placed her hand over her heart in relief. "Master, you're the best!"

"No need to thank me, my child," Makarov pulled out some fresh paper and a pen from a drawer to respond to the letters he had received. "I know how much they mean to you."

As Levy knelt to pick up her books, she took a quick peek at the bookshelf to see if there was anything of interest that she might ask to borrow. She'd never had the opportunity to browse Makarov's library before, and she was curious to see what she might find. But to her dismay, she found that reading any of the titles was nearly impossible. Books were crammed in backwards, upside down, and in no logical order – not by author, subject or even size. Worse, one was being used as a – gasp - coaster for a mug whose drink had long since crusted over.

For a solid script mage, this was akin to sacrilege. Something had to be done!

"Master," she said, turning to the wizened wizard who was absorbed in his correspondence, "would it be okay if I organized your bookcase for you? It looks like it could use a little cleaning up."

Makarov looked up from his paperwork. "What, what? Organize my bookcase? Oh I see. You and Gajeel have a little tiff, eh?"

Levy started. "HUH?" _Had her feelings for Gajeel been so obvious that even the master had noticed them?_ "Um, er, no," she shook her head, "It doesn't have anything to do with him." A tightness welled up in her chest, and she bit her lip to keep from crying. Makarov was like a father to her and for some strange reason his hint at her feelings made them bubble up to the surface. "I just thought I'd do something nice for the man who took in a certain blue-haired orphan, that's all."

"Ah! Well, there was never a question of taking you in, my dear." He put down his pen to give her a cheerful grin. "I asked because it's not every day a young girl offers to spend her morning with an old man! However, let it not be said that I would deny you anything! Have at it if you wish!"

A tremulous smile spread across her lips. "Great!" she said, hoping to sound more cheerful than she felt. "I'll get right on it!"

And get right on it she did. Once she got her hands on those books her passion took over, and she was soon sorting, stacking, and alphabetizing to her heart's content. Humming happily to herself, she removed the offending mug and carefully dusted and wiped down each shelf to prepare it for stacking. By lunchtime the bookcase was sparkling, and its contents painstakingly organized, with all spines easily readable in their neat and tidy rows.

Makarov was thoroughly impressed with the result, and to celebrate, he asked Mirajane to prepare a special lunch with all of Levy's favorite foods. Over a tray of apple cider, tea sandwiches, fruit salad and butter cookies, Levy munched and laughed as the master shared stories of his carefree days as a young wizard before he headed Fairy Tail.

"Yes," he said, shaking his head ruefully at his past self, "I was quite a wild one back in those days! But while I didn't have good sense, I luckily had a good heart, and that got me through even the most difficult predicaments!"

Levy giggled. "I think your wild youth made you the perfect person to head our rowdy guild!"

Makarov let out a hearty laugh. "Ha, ha! I suppose you are right! But speaking of wild ones, please don't be too hard on Gajeel, my dear, whatever he may have done. I know he can be a little rough around the edges, but he was raised by a dragon after all."

Her brown eyes dropped to the mug of cider she held in her hands. "Believe me, Master; the last thing I want to do is make Gajeel's life any harder." Taking a deep breath, she set the mug down on the desktop and looked at Makarov. "Whatever happens from here on out, please know that it's all because I want to make his life as easy as possible. If there's anyone here who knows how hard he's paid his dues, it's me."

She stood up from her chair and walked over to the guildmaster, who looked at her with a curious expression. She leaned down and planted a kiss on the top of his bald head. "Thank you for a lovely lunch, Master."

"You're welcome, sweetheart," he said gently. But he couldn't help noticing her drooping shoulders and pale cheeks as she gathered up her books and shuffled out of his office. He might be old, but he was no fool. His eyes narrowed.

"I'm going to have to have a talk with that boy," he muttered.


	3. Chapter 3

Levy scowled at the page in front of her, wondering whatever possessed her to try to study rune theory. Now that she had the book back, she remembered just how difficult it was to get through, and the indecipherable figures printed on the pages seemed to mock her ignorance. Knowing that Gajeel was sitting only a few tables away wasn't helping her concentration much either.

After leaving Makarov's office, Levy had walked into the guildhall which she was stunned to see was filled with almost all of her fellow mages. It was then that she remembered the Master had said he had a special announcement to make that night, which accounted for everyone being in attendance. Looking for a place to sit, her stomach twisted when she saw that the only free seats were either with Gajeel and Pantherlily, or at a lone table close by them. Had it been a few days earlier, she would have simply sat with her crush and his exceed; but now it was no longer an option.

She sighed and fought the urge to go back to her room at Fairy Hills. She reminded herself that she had to learn to be at the guild while Gajeel was there, and besides, she also wanted to hear the Master's announcement. Clutching her books tighter to her chest, she made her way to the empty table.

As she squirmed between two chairs, Pantherlily flew up to her and gave a small bow – if one could bow mid-air. "Hello, Levy! As you can see it's tight quarters today! However, there is a free seat at the table with Gajeel and myself. Shall I carry your books there for you?"

Levy's eyes flew to Gajeel, who was leaning back in his chair with arms crossed behind his head. He glanced briefly at her before looking away just as quickly. It was obvious Pantherlily made the offer on his own, while Gajeel couldn't care less. In the past she would've thought the iron mage wouldn't have minded her presence. Now she knew better.

"Thank you, Pantherlily, but I really need my own space to study," she said. "I'll be fine at this table over here."

Pantherlily's brows furrowed. "Are you sure? We have enough room for you and all your books."

"I'm sure you do, but I do need to concentrate and I wouldn't want to impose," she said, pushing past several more chairs filled with mages before reaching the empty table. "But I appreciate your offer."

"Impose?!" Pantherlily landed on the table as Levy set her books down. "Levy," he said, crossing his arms. "Has Gajeel been ungentlemanly to you recently?"

Levy gave him a wry look.

"I mean, more than usual, that is."

She shook her head. "No, no, he hasn't done anything wrong. I just need to study is all." She plopped down into a chair and opened her rune theory book. "Thanks again for the offer, though."

"As you wish," Pantherlily bowed again. "But if you change your mind, let me know."

"I will," she said.

Of course, she had changed her mind. A thousand and one times she had changed her mind. There was nothing more she wanted to do than sit with Gajeel, rune theory be damned. She loved books, but they didn't hold a candle to smoldering crimson eyes and wild hair the color of midnight. But pride pricked her and kept her from calling Pantherlily back no matter how much she wanted to.

She rested her cheek in her palm and stared at her book until the image doubled in her eyes. She yawned. She must have read the page at least twenty times, but the information was just not sinking in. She wondered if Freed Justine had the same problem when he first started studying runes.

_Why don't you ask him?_ The thought popped into her head and she sat up. Ask Freed? Her eyes traveled to where the green-haired mage sat calmly sipping a cup of tea while his fellow Thunder God Tribe members, Bickslow and Evergreen, bickered. Considered to be not only the top rune mage in Fairy Tail, but possibly in all of Fiore, Freed cast a written magic very similar to her own. She had often wanted to talk to him about his enchantments, but was too intimidated by his aloof, cool demeanor. But compared to a certain iron mage who had an even more aloof, cool demeanor, Freed now almost seemed like a chatterbox.

Levy slammed her book shut. She would go over and ask him. After all, what did she have to lose?

* * *

"Heya shortcake, what are you doing here? You and your boyfriend having a fight?" Bickslow greeted Levy while slinging his arm around Evergreen's shoulders, squeezing his teammate to his chest with a vise-like grip. "Cuz Ever here can give you some tips on how to keep your man in check. She's got Elfman strung around her little finger!"

Evergreen wrestled out of Bickslow's grasp. "I AM NOT DATING ELFMAN!" She scowled at him from behind her glasses while poking his shoulder. "HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU THAT!"

"And I'm not dating anyone either," interjected Levy, holding her book tighter to her chest, "So I have no idea who you are talking about."

Bickslow smirked. "You are totally dating that kurogane!"

Levy's cheeks blazed. "I am not!"

"Oh, really? Then why does he look like he wants to punch me in the face?" he challenged.

Levy's heart thrilled in her chest and she turned her head to Gajeel and Pantherlily's table. To her shock, the dragon slayer WAS glaring at Bickslow! Could he really be _jealous_?

"Of course he looks like he wants to punch you in the face! EVERYONE wants to punch you in the face!" mocked Evergreen, still smarting from his jibe about her relationship with Elfman. "Including me!"

Bickslow shrugged and turned his head back to Levy. "You are so dating, just admit it."

"Whether Levy is dating him or not is immaterial," sighed Freed, carefully placing his teacup onto its saucer. "Really, you are such a gossip."

The seith mage stuck his tongue out with a huge grin. "Hey, I just call it like I see it!"

"Well, stop seeing things that aren't there!" Evergreen sniffed, tossing her butterscotch-hued hair over her shoulders. "You oughtta raise that helmet shield sometime, it might help your vision!"

"Says the girl with glasses," retorted Bickslow. "Look who's talking!"

Freed shook his head. "Honestly, you two!" He gave Levy a weary expression. "Is there anything we can do for you?"

Ignoring Bickslow's chuckling, Levy showed Freed her book. "Actually, there is! I've started studying rune theory, but am having a tough time. Would you be willing to tutor me?"

Freed raised an eyebrow. "Rune theory?" He took the worn, dog-eared book from Levy's hands and thumbed through it. "Ah yes, I remember this book, it is a tough one. How far have you gotten?"

"I'm only about five chapters in," she admitted, although she felt relieved to know that even Freed considered it a "tough" book. "I just can't seem to get the naskah sequence quite right."

He nodded. "One of the more troublesome areas. When did you start reading it?"

"Two weeks ago."

Freed rubbed his chin. "Impressive. It took me about four months to get that far when I first read it."

Levy puffed up with pride.

"Then again, I was only fourteen at the time."

The seventeen-year-old bluenette deflated just as quickly.

"But still," said Freed, placing the book down on the table and opening it to the beginning of the chapter on naskah sequence, "that's no small feat. And for that reason, I will definitely give you some pointers." He turned around in his chair to face Cana Alberona, who was halfway through her third barrel of wine at the crowded table behind him.

"Cana, are you using that barrel?" He pointed to the wine barrel that rested horizontally under the card mage's shapely legs.

"Nah," she hiccupped. "I finished that ages ago!" Raising her legs, she kicked the barrel towards him. "It's all yours, buttercup!"

Freed pursed his lips tightly at the "endearment" but managed to give her a curt "thank you" in reply. Righting the empty barrel, he placed it between Bickslow and himself. "You can sit here," he motioned to Levy.

Levy couldn't believe her luck! Before Freed could change his mind, she squeezed past Evergreen and Bickslow to perch next to him on the barrel. Peeking over his shoulder, she saw him point on the open page to four different boxes in the naskah "alphabet" one by one.

"The trick to learning naskah is in the 'rule of four.' See here…" he began.

"Wow, you sure are brave, shortcake," interrupted Bickslow.

Levy scrunched her face at him. "Why?"

"I don't think the kurogane is gonna like you sitting on Cana's boyfriend's lap," he joked.

Evergreen groaned. Levy, however, couldn't help but giggle at the comical thought of Gajeel declaring the barrel his "rival" and obliterating it to smithereens.

"AHEM," Freed frowned at his teammate. "As I was saying, the 'rule of four'…"

Despite his seemingly standoffish manner, Freed turned out to be a very patient and affable teacher, much to Levy's surprise. Their shared interest in the subject dissolved any lingering barriers between them, and they soon were talking like old friends. She also found Bickslow and Evergreen's bickering to be rather amusing, as well as their gossip about the love lives of their fellow guildmates – especially since their attention had drifted from her and Gajeel to Natsu and Lucy.

"Just look at how pinkie hangs all over the cosplayer," said Bickslow to Evergreen, who smirked at him from behind her ruffled fan. Levy looked up from the page where Freed was writing down notes to see Natsu chatting happily away to Lisanna Strauss with his arm over Lucy's shoulders. She smiled to herself at how cute they looked when she felt Bickslow nudge her with his elbow. "He oughtta give the ice boy some pointers, don't you think?" he asked, cocking his head towards Gray, who glowered darkly while Juvia offered him a drink.

She chuckled, but before she could reply a hush fell over the crowd. The Master was walking onto the guildhall stage, flanked on either side by Mirajane and Erza Scarlet. Levy sat up straight. If the two S-Class mages were with him, it had to be a very important announcement!

"Hello, everyone, hello!" Makarov waved to all his "brats." "As you all know, Fairy Tail has gone through a rather rough patch these past seven years."

Murmurs of agreement came from the crowd. The guild had fallen on hard times, and no one knew it more than those who had been left behind when Levy and the others had disappeared on Tenrou Island.

"So, I thought we should have a party to raise our spirits!" grinned Makarov.

Levy's heart lifted as loud cheers echoed through the guildhall. A party, of course! The Master always seemed to know exactly what everyone needed!

"But, this is no ordinary party," said Mirajane with a smile as devilish as her Satan Soul takeover.

"Yes," agreed Erza with an equally mischievous grin. "We are bringing back an age-old Fairy Tail tradition!" She pulled out a sword and pointed it high into the air. "The Turnabout!"

A gasp ran through the audience. Levy gulped.

"For those of you who don't know, the Turnabout dance was created by our first master, Mavis Vermillion," explained Makarov. "She believed that our female mages were just as powerful as the males! And so, she created the Turnabout, where the women of our guild have the power to invite the person of their choice to the dance. It has been many years since we've had one, and Mira and Erza convinced me it was time to bring it back!"

The S-class mages grinned at the crowd with wicked sparkles in their eyes.

"The dance will be held one week from today!" sang Mirajane.

"So, in the spirit of the first Master, DO NOT FAIL IN YOUR QUEST, LADIES!" cried Erza.

Makarov raised his hand. "That is all! Oh," he added before walking off the stage, "I, of course, would be honored to accompany any one of you young ladies to the Turnabout, ahem."

For one brief moment there was silence; and then, absolute pandemonium. Natsu found himself being pulled by each arm by Lucy and Lisanna, Juvia jumped in front of Gray to guard against any other woman speaking to him, Wendy Marvell was blushing furiously in front of an equally embarrassed Romeo and the rest of the male mages were either running to Mirajane or from Erza.

The bottom of Freed's chair scraped against the floor as he stood up. "Excuse me for a moment, Levy," he said through gritted teeth as he watched Cana throw herself at a confused Laxus who had just walked through the front doors. "I have to take care of something." As he walked towards the two mages she heard him mutter under his breath, "_Ladies_ choice, indeed!"

Levy's heart thudded. A week ago she would have known exactly who to ask to the Turnabout, but now who would she go with? Oh, why couldn't the Master have come up with this idea earlier?

"You better go ask Elfman quick, Ever," quipped Bickslow. "If not he might be snapped up by some other girl."

Evergreen lifted her chin at him. "He would be a fool to think any other woman would even compare to me!" Turning to give Elfman a withering stare, she noticed Laki Olietta smiling at him. "Excuse me for a moment," she said airily, getting up from the table to walk, then run, in their direction.

Bickslow leaned over to Levy. "You're gonna have to wait to ask the kurogane," he said, pointing to side of the stage. "The Master's talking to him."

Levy glanced in the direction where Bickslow was pointing to see a sweat-dropping Gajeel being given some sort of talking-to by the Master. Whatever he had done to deserve the scolding, she didn't know, but by the look of red-faced embarrassment on his face, it had to be pretty bad!

"I won't be asking him," she said, flipping the pages of the rune theory book to avoid looking at the seith mage. "He doesn't like to dance."

"He's an idiot, then!" Bickslow shook his head. "I'd totally go, but none of the girls here will ask me."

"Seriously?" Levy looked at him in shock. "You would go to a dance?"

"Heck, yes! My babies love music!" His magic dolls floated from around his head and towards her, chanting _"Music! Music!" _She smiled at the little winged tikis as they circled around her in an aerial ballet.

"Aaaand I'd get to see all the shenanigans that go on between everyone!" He rubbed his hands in anticipation. "I'd have gossip for weeks! Think about how much I could annoy Ever! But," he shrugged, "I won't get asked. Most girls find me too scary to go out with for some strange reason."

_"Just like Gajeel,"_ she thought. Suddenly, she felt a kind of sympathy for Bickslow. His oddball personality could be off-putting, but he wasn't a bad guy, really. Considering how dejected he seemed about not being asked to the dance, she almost thought about inviting him herself.

_Almost. _Levy studied the seith mage who sat with his arms crossed in front of him, a slight frown on lips as he watched Natsu try to appease both Lucy and Lisanna, who stood with their hands on their hips waiting for him to choose which would be his dance partner. Would taking Bickslow to the Turnabout really be so bad? At the very least he would be good for a few laughs, and he really seemed to want to go. Plus, doing something nice for a guildmate would beat staying at home and wallowing in self-pity, that was for sure.

At the thought of another night sniffling into her pillow, Levy decided to throw caution to the wind. "Well, if you really would like to go, how about being my date?" she asked.

"HUH?" Bickslow flipped open his visor and stared at her, his flashing green eyes searching her face. "Did I accidentally use my figure eyes on you to get you to invite me?"

She giggled and shook her head. "No, I'm pretty sure I asked you on my own."

He threw back his head and let out a wild laugh that sent chills down Levy's spine. "You know what, shortcake? You're alright!" He gave her a hearty pat on the back that almost sent her flying off the barrel and she grabbed Freed's empty chair to keep from teetering over. "Hear that babies? We got ourselves a date to the dance!"

His dolls bobbed up and down joyfully around her. "_Dance! Dance!_"

Levy sweat-dropped as she clutched the back of Freed's chair for leverage. She knew Gajeel would never have accepted her invitation to the dance at all, much less with as much exuberance as the seith mage. But Bickslow's impulsive manner reminded her that he was definitely more of a wild card than the dragon slayer, and she wondered whether or not she had just made a huge mistake.

_"Oh Mavis, I hope I don't regret this!" _


End file.
